...In our world today, it is impossible to not hear about all the diseases that take over people. The list of diseases are endless and it’s very saddening to hear as every day more and more people are affected. One of the many diseases that are detrimental to a person is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD for short), which relates to the nervous system. This disease is permanent and progressive and the most common type of dementia as it accounts for more than 60% in elderly people. This disease is also terminal and it is said to end a person’s life within the five to ten years after being diagnosed with it. Anyone who lives with Alzheimer’s disease is forced to have someone look after them as they are unable to take care of themselves on a...
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...effects of Alzheimer’s disease The former liberal party leader, Michael Ignatieff said in his essay, “Deficits” (2010) “Sometimes I try to count the number of times she asks me these questions but I lose track” (p.108). Ignatieff is expressing his own feelings towards his mother’s Dementia of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician discovered a patient that suffered from a severe dementia due to brain abnormalities. Alzheimer’s disease is the second most-feared irreversible illness in America, following Cancer. It affects as many as 5 million Americans, a number that could soar to 16 million by 2050 (Hoffman, Froemke, and Golant, 2009, para 1). These numbers are due to the fact that there is no cure. The major effects of this specific disease can be depicted by Ignatieff (2010) in “Deficits” and also scientific studies that create a clear picture of how an individual is affected through the brain, how the individual does not have that sense of security and those caregivers who are trying to cope with the disease to that individual. The brain is a vital organ in the human body, when the brain is affected; the entire functions of the body are affected. In most individuals affected by Alzheimer’s, memory loss is usually the first sign. The individual begins to lose memory of recent events and later the ability to complete regular tasks declines as nerve cells break down. In the book, “The Everything Health Guide to Alzheimer’s disease” Terry...
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...Alzheimer's HCA/250 October 21, 2012 Tiffany Hanshaw Alzheimer's Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia that can affect a variety of ages, groups or gender. In 1906, a psychiatrist named Alois Alzheimer from Germany performed an autopsy on a female patient that had passed away ("Living with Alzheimer's", 2012). According to the "Alzheimer's Association" (2012), the most common sign and characteristics of Alzheimer’s is memory loss but also as the illness progresses, the individuals behavior starts to change. The person can start to have changes in how they feel and can become depressed, withdrawn, or anxious with themselves or family and loved. When it comes to memory loss for those with the disease, he/she starts to depend more on family or friends to help remind them of what things are in the their lives. The individual will notices small changes that will be brushed aside as just a normal part of the aging process but as time goes by, the signs are more noticeable. Speaking words at one time was an easy task but as time passes, he/she struggles with just trying to form the words they are thinking and wanting to say. Some of the other characteristics of Alzheimer’s are such as solving problems. This becomes a challenge because it is difficult to process what is being read such as a puzzle book or reading a novel. It will take longer to solve the puzzle or finish a novel due to the inability to concentrate on the task they are trying to perform. Activities...
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...Symptoms There are many symptoms a patient can have to identify Alzheimer’s. * Confusion to places * Loss of memory of relatives * Cannot perform daily tasks * Regular poor judgment * Difficulty with language * Loss of impulse controlThe severe stage of AD is very painful because the patient cannot eat on their own, they have to have a feeding tube. They also lose their bladder and bowel control. Their sense of life has vanished and they do not what they are living for. | | | Causes Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, is a disease named after Alois Alzheimer who first discovered it in 1906. It is an incurable terminal disease usually diagnosed in people over 65 years of age.Prevalent causes for Alzheimer’s disease are believed to be age related concerns or stress affiliated. Remaining is characterized by memory loss, mood swings, language breakdown, irritability and aggression and general withdrawal in the advanced stages, the victim practically withdraws from life mentally because they cannot complete everyday tasks. | | | | | | | | | | | | ALzheimer’s Disease | By: Mayur Kamireddy | | Snoezelen RoomA “snoezelen” room can have glow in the dark stars, and colorful fiber optic strands. When an AD patient stays in this kind of room for 15-30 minutes it’s effective because it decreases their wandering. It’s nowhere near to be a cure for Alzheimer’s but rather for the wellbeing of the person.. A snoezelen room is mainly for behavioral...
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...What is Alzheimer’s disease? Why should people know about it? This is a disease that causes more than just memory loss. Alzheimer’s is a Neurodegenerative Brain disease, and is a common cause of dementia. It currently affects over 5 million Americans, and it is also the 6 leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer's Association (2014). A lot of people are not fully aware of the impact this awful disease has; not only on the victim but the caregiver as well. I chose topic of Alzheimer’s disease because I want to shed some light on the history, the effects on the families, and the hope for a cure. I have been around Alzheimer’s disease since I was about 8 years old. Being that I was so close to my mother I watched her take care of my grandmother who had Alzheimer’s; then again as a teenager I helped her take care of my aunt who also had this disease as well. I have been affected by this disease in numerous ways mentally and emotionally but the real impact didn’t hit until my mother was diagnosed with the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. History As a neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer studied a case of a 51 year old woman when she died, Alzheimer performed an autopsy and discovered that she had “cerebral atrophy” (deterioration of the brain), “senile plaques” (protein deposits) and “neurofibrillary tangles” (abnormal filaments in nerve cells) in the brain- three common pathological features of people who have Alzheimer’s disease ( Ramanathan, 1997). Diagnosis ...
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...Is it ethical to allow individuals with the disease to receive a placebo when participating in a research study into Alzheimer’s disease? Lit Review Dementia is an umbrella term or senility which means an enormous group of symptoms that are caused by disease that affect the brain, for instance Alzheimer’s disease. The brain starts to shrink because increasingly the cells die, which is known as brain atrophy (image below) which can sometimes be seen in a brain scan of someone in the later stages of dementia. When the cells die and it cannot be replaced at all. What is Alzheimer’s disease? The term Alzheimer is named after by Alois Alzheimer, who was a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist in 1906. Alois discovered the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) which is the most ordinary form of dementia that has no treatment, medication or cure at all. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease, that the brain gets damaged gradually, as this happens the symptoms becomes more sever then eventually leads to death. It is a brain disorder that extremely disturbs a person’s knowledge to carry out daily activities. Throughout the course of the disease, protein, ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’ develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People who have AD have a shortage of some beneficial chemicals in their brain, which are involved with the transmission of messages with the brain. However, some drug may help keep symptoms from getting worse for a restricted...
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...degenerative disorder known more commonly as the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD was first discovered by Alois Alzheimer, German neuropathologist, back in 1906 when he was performing an autopsy in the brain of a 56 year old patient (Chiappelli et al., 2006). Since that time, researchers have been trying to come up with new techniques and new information of how the disease works, as well as, how do AD patients and caregivers of AD patients cope and adjust the disease in their everyday life. Although, the disease was not examined fully when it was first discovered, scientists since then have made quite a few hallmarks...
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...gave me the news. My mother’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. At the time I really did not know what to make of the situation my dad just threw at me. He tried explaining to me what it was and how it affected my grandfather but it was too much information to take in at the time. I just did not understand the concept of Alzheimer’s so I decided to do some research. I found that Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia that eats away at brain cells and interferes cognitive functioning like memory transitions, learning abilities and language formation. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top death causes in the United States. Almost five million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and about five percent of people between the age of 65 to 75 and half of the people over the age of 85 suffer from Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is not a normal side effect of aging. It starts off as just mild symptoms that interfere with normal daily activities such as forgetting to put shoes on or forgetting to eat. It progresses after that and gets worse and worse until it is at its most severe stage when one must completely rely on someone else to survive. Alzheimer’s is very unpredictable and scientists do not know what causes Alzheimer’s. The number of people with Alzheimer’s is rising each day. (National center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion) In 1906 a women died of a strange mental illness. Dr. Alois Alzheimer dissected her brain and started to test experiments...
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...parents, friends, spouse, your address, relatives, even your own name! Scary feeling isn’t it? Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Alzheimer's affects people younger than age 65. Up to 5 percent of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s have younger-onset. Many people with early onset are in their 40s and 50s. Defined by the Mayo Clinic - Alzheimer's is a irreversible disease that causes the brain cells to degenerate and die causing a steady decline in memory and other important mental functions. It's the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities — these brain disorders result in the loss of intellectual and social skills and interfere with day-to-day life. Alzheimer's disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps. Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 5.3 million people and is ranked 6th for cause of death in America. A question you may ask is can someone die from Alzheimer’s I would have to say yes. Now you are wondering how can one die from memory loss…well typical complications of Alzheimer's are heart attacks, thromboembolisms (blood clots), strokes, kidney failure, and lung infections...
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...Alzheimer's disease (AD), also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease, is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. It was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him.[1] Most often, AD is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age,[2] although the less-prevalentearly-onset Alzheimer's can occur much earlier. In 2006, there were 26.6 million sufferers worldwide. Alzheimer's is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050.[3] Although Alzheimer's disease develops differently for every individual, there are many common symptoms.[4] Early symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress.[5] In the early stages, the most common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. When AD is suspected, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with tests that evaluate behaviour and thinking abilities, often followed by a brain scan if available.[6] As the disease advances, symptoms can include confusion, irritability and aggression,mood swings, trouble with language, and long-term memory loss. As the sufferer declines they often withdraw from family and society.[5][7] Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death.[8] Since the disease is different for each individual, predicting how it will affect the person is difficult. AD develops for an unknown and variable...
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...The Alzheimer’s disease is a diseased named after Alois Alzheimer, who ironically died of the disease, and the disease is a senile Dementia. A simply definition of the word would be memory loss. Alzheimer’s is incurable, unstoppable, inevitable, degenerative, and a terminal disease. It is most common in people over the age of sixty-five, but there are rare occasions where it can occur in younger ages. The effect of this disease is still unknown today. Alzheimer’s bears a great burden on not only the family, but the caregivers who deal with battled every day. This disease can cause someone not to remember a friend of over ten years, or giving birth to their child. Not only is there an emotional strain on people providing care to an Alzheimer’s...
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...celebrate the World Alzheimer's Day to shed light on the difficulties and challenges that Alzheimer's patients live with. It also calls for exerting every effort in order to enhance health care and increase support for Alzheimer's patients and their families especially in the Middle East, because the percentage of elderly in the Middle East will increase with the development of the health care delivery in the area. Alzheimer's disease is a neurological disease that damages memory and other important mental functions.The first case of Alzheimer was recorded in 1907 by Dr Alois Alzheimer, she was a middle-aged woman called Auguste Deter. Dr Alzheimer examined the brain of his patient, Mrs Deter, after her death. He notice that the outer layer of her brain the region of the brain involved in memory, language and judgment was shrinked. The...
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...alz.co.uk/alois-alzheimer http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.php http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE * Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Bottom of Form * Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s. * Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years, depending on age and other health conditions. * Alzheimer's has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer's treatments...
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...9/15/2013 Professors, Nicole Elliot-Laboray and Alan Bryant Sickness and Insanity Many people will hear that another has a disease in their brain and assume them potentially insane, if not outright. The brain is the place where all logic is formed and all action is defined. It then stands to reason that any attacking force will break the calculator. This however, is a poor assumption to make, as no two diseases behave in the same way. The Origins of both Acromegaly and Alzheimer’s for instance, are as unique to one another as their behaviors within the body. Acromegaly has an odd sounding name. Its Latin root words are “Acro”, meaning “High” and “Megaly”, meaning “Abnormal growth” or enlargement. This particular disease occurs below the brain and around the pituitary gland. Alzheimer’s has a different origin, entirely, having been named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who discovered the disease; it affects the brain directly. While the two chronic diseases Acromegaly and Alzheimer’s exist near the brain, their effects to the host can be extremely different; by way of cause, growth, signs, and long term effect; this fact should be understood and respected. From their inception, Acromegaly and Alzheimer’s differ from one another on even the most fundamental of levels. While no one is certain of the catalyst, it is known that one disease is concerned with tissue growth while conversely, the other causes tissue death. Typically, Acromegaly is caused by the growth of...
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...However, imagine as you get older, you start to forget the people you cherished, you start to forget the places you lived, you start to forget the memories you once had, and worst of all, you start to forget who you are yourself. To some, this may seem like a horrible nightmare, but patients with Alzheimer's disease have to live their life with this burden. This is not something that can happen to anyone though, this disease usually affects people around the age of 65. So...
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